


Reach For The Stars

by TortiTabby



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Fantasy, Kidfic, M/M, Parent Phan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-05
Updated: 2019-07-05
Packaged: 2020-06-09 16:50:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19480024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TortiTabby/pseuds/TortiTabby
Summary: Let me tell you a queer little story of a boy named Dan...





	Reach For The Stars

**Author's Note:**

> This is for the phandomficfest!  
> I hope you like it. I wasn't sure if this idea would work out or not!  
>   
> Thank you for being such a great beta reader Callie! Appreciate you!!

“ Let me tell you a queer little story of a boy named Dan. 

Dan was an adventurous child with dreams wilder than the curls on his head. 

He would dream of magical forests where the plants would glow like the plastic stars stuck to his ceiling, or diving deep into the ocean and swim with mermaids, comparing pearls and beautiful shells other sea creatures had left behind.

Most of all he dreamt of the moon and the stars glued in the black inky mass of sky around it. He wanted so badly to hold a star in his hand. He could almost feel the warmth it would give off just thinking about it.

“Daniel you can’t just pluck the stars from the sky.” His family would chastise him. “Nothing good ever came from dreams. Fun is not all it seems.”

But Dan never believed them. He knew one night he had to go on an adventure. He wasn’t sure what was waiting to be found but he planned on finding it.

He tied all the bedsheets in his room together and lowered it to the lawn of his family house. It was a long way down and the house seemed to grow taller and taller, almost like it was wanting to trap Dan there, somewhere where he just didn’t quite fit. The shutters of his window slapped open and closed as he swung from the makeshift rope down to the grass.

He glanced back up at the house that was seemingly alive. 

It loomed over him, tall into the darkened storm clouds that crackled with electricity and boomed threateningly. 

“I’m not afraid of you,” Dan said softly. He felt bad for the house. He knew it wanted to bend him until he fit in where it wanted him to but he was simply unbendable. He dusted his hands off on his pants and without looking back at the house again marched into the nearby forest. 

He kept his eyes glued to the dirt path in front of him. Dan was ready for all things on this quest but that didn’t mean he wasn’t afraid. He was never a fan of the forest. The trees stood tall and menacing and blocked out any light from the stars he loved so dearly. 

Strange sounds from unknown animals floated out from the shadows but he kept his head down and kept on marching.

The noises grew louder and more ominous than before. Dan picked his pace up and tripped over a rogue tree root that was coming up through the ground right across the path. 

“Oof!” Dan hit the ground hard. 

He could hear faint laughter in the whisper of a breeze in the leaves. 

He stood shakily to his feet and dusted his hands off, painstakingly picking the loose rocks out of palms. 

His breath caught in his throat when he turned to look at the massive tree root he tripped over to find the dirt path totally flat.

The whispering grew louder and danced through his curls as the wind picked up.

“Okay. Okay, I’ve got this. Just get through the forest.” Dan mumbled to himself.

He hurried forward down the path that was darker than it was just moments before. He glanced up and sighed in disappointment as the thick branches of the trees blocked out the view of the sky. 

When he looked forward again it was a thick gnarled branch swinging full force at him, plowing into his gut and throwing him backwards.

The laughter in the leaves picked up again, now howling. Dan crawled forward in a panic, desperate to get out of the trees and back under the open sky. 

A branch came from his right and swiped at him feverishly. He dodged it and climbed to his feet, breaking into a sprint. 

The trees came alive with their branches whipping around him wildly. He could hear them slamming into each other and pounding the ground behind him, missing him by inches. 

He turned a dark corner of the path and saw a tunnel made out of the shrubbery.

He dove forward and hurried away from the entrance. When he turned to see if the branches were trying to reach him he found the forest completely still and silent. 

He let out a low breath. 

He  _ really _ hated trees in the dark. 

The tunnel continued on for miles and he trudged along and tried to ignore the bugs that crawled alongside him, instead focussing on the light at the end that was mercifully getting closer and closer. 

He kept crawling and crawling mindlessly forward until suddenly the ground was gone from under his palms and he was careening forward head first. 

He tumbled down and landed on a sea of golden coins, quickly sliding down the mountain of them.

Before he could gather his bearings and fully take in the situation, a loud rumbling roar shook the ground, causing the gold to shift and clatter to the ground. 

Dan tried to find the source of the roar and realized he was in a giant cavern with no sign of any exit.

A movement in the shining mountain to his left made Dan whip his head around to see a massive beast laying in the coins, staring him down with wide copper eyes with a cat like slit down the middle. They narrowed when they met Dan’s and the behemoth dragon exhaled menacingly, tendrils of smoke billowed from it’s nostrils. 

Dan held his breath and tried to subtly scoot away when the dragon opened it’s wide shimmering wings and bared its fangs.

A glint of silver stood out from the gold and Dan noticed a spear stuck in it’s left wing, dried blood crusted around it.

It let out another roar but it came out as a pained whimper. 

Dan studied it’s cat like eyes and carefully started forward, stumbling through the dragon’s treasures and never breaking away. His heart was in his throat. 

He put his palms out in front of him as a sign of good gesture and hoped that the dragon could sense he meant no harm. 

It held his gaze before finally closing its eyes and lowering his head. 

Dan hurried forward and awkwardly climbed the pile it was sat on.

He steadied himself at its side by carefully gripping it’s back, the shining scales warm on his skin.

“Hello,” Dan cooed softly. “This is going to hurt but then you should feel better.”

It grunted in understanding. 

Dan wiped his sweaty hands on his pants and gripped the spear. There were too many ways this could go wrong but he couldn’t leave it like this. By the looks of things it had been suffering far too long already.

“Okay.” Dan said mostly to himself.

He took a deep breath and yanked the spear with all his might, putting his entire weight behind it. 

He flew backwards and the dragon roared angrily. 

Dan covered his head and waited to be engulfed in flames, sure that it was going to be the end. 

Silence.

He looked up to find the dragon staring at him thoughtfully. 

It cocked its head to the side before moving towards Dan quickly, purposefully. 

It lowered its head again and knocked Dan’s legs out from under him, effectively throwing him onto its back. 

Dan held onto the spikes sprouting from its spine for dear life as it spread its wings wide and took them to the roof of the cavern. 

It hovered near an ivy covered opening that Dan had missed when he first scanned the cave. 

Dan felt the fire before it happened, low in the beast’s belly before it spit flames, igniting the greenery and flying through the fire before Dan knew what was happening. 

They burst out into the night and a wild idea to stand on the dragon and reach for the stars nearly overtook Dan. He’d certainly fall a fatal height if he did but he was so close to the stars blinking back at him. 

The dragon swooped down and with one slight turn on it’s side, dumped Dan onto a soft patch of grass. It snorted one last thanks before it took off once more, disappearing into the distance in no time. 

Dan laid in the grass and tried to catch his breath, staring at the mass of space above him. The pale moonlight cast an unearthly glow on the hills around him.

He was completely alone save for a few lone white flowers dotted throughout the field. 

Or so he thought.

A darkening thunderhead cloud started rolling in, blanketing the night sky and obscuring it. 

Dan’s hair stood straight into the air and it crackled around him. A loud boom came from the skies and shook the ground around him. 

The sky opened up to a downpour and he ran to find shelter under a rock that was jutted out from a hill, creating a little cavern he could hide in.

He shook the rain out of his hair and gathered his bearings. 

THe storm raged on, the sky angry and flashing. Dan could feel the thunder echo in his chest.

“I haven’t seen a storm this bad before.” A small voice sounded out from Dan’s left, scaring the life out of him.

Dan jumped back, so terrified by the sudden company that he managed to trip over a rock. He fell flat on his back and looked up at the boy who had to be just around his age, perhaps a few years older.

“Oh I’m sorry!” Eyes as round as the moon and as blue as the sea shined at him in worry. His face was framed with jet black hair. He bit his lip and hurried to help Dan to his feet.

“I didn’t mean to scare you!” 

Dan laughed awkwardly and tried to calm his racing heart. 

“Thanks. I, er, I just didn’t see you there.” He couldn’t look away from the multicolored array of blues and greens with a splash of yellow that were directed at him. 

“Oh is this your cave? I can leave?” 

“Oh no!” Dan’s arm jolted out to stop him from leaving before he could even think about it.

The boy smiled sheepishly at him, tongue pinched between his teeth endearingly.

“I’m Phil. Want to be cave buddies then?” He nudged Dan playfully.

Dan felt his breath catch in his throat and his stomach swoop. He felt as light as a feather and hoped his face didn’t look as warm as it felt. 

“I’d like that.” Dan laughed. It sounded awkward and clumsy to his own ears but Phil only smiled wider. It felt comfortable and familiar with Phil in a way Dan had never felt before. He knew he could trust him and talk to him. 

“What are you doing out here? I’m looking for a star,” Dan said proudly. “I think I’m getting close but the sky still looks so far away.” 

Phil sucked in a breath and beamed back at Dan. “I’m just here for an adventure. Where I’m from it always looks so nice and exciting here.” He sighed. “It’s even better than I imagined.” He didn’t take his eyes off of Dan. 

A loud clap of thunder made them both look out to the field just in time to see two massive green balls of lightning appear and fly up the side of the mountain in the distance. 

“Did you see that?” Phil gasped and grabbed Dan’s hand excitedly. Dan squeezed back and didn’t let go.

“I bet that’s where my star is!” Dan exclaimed. “It was like an arrow right up to it for me! I’m going to go up that mountain and find it. Do you– Would you like to go with me?”

Phil squeezed Dan’s hand again and nodded enthusiastically. “It sounds like an adventure to me.” 

They took off running through the rain, hands still gripped tight. 

Over the sound of the falling rain and occasional thunder Dan could just hear a sprinkle of Phil’s delighted laughter. 

Eventually they reached the base of the mountain and the rain calmed to a stop. 

Dan pushed his sopping wet curls out of his eyes to look over at Phil, who was already looking at him.

He looked nervous. 

Dan glanced back at the mountain. It was a steep, deadly climb that was full of jagged rocks and sheer cliff faces. It wasn’t safe and Phil didn’t look excited. He shrugged back at Phil and sat on a nearby boulder still cold and damp from the rain.

“We don’t have to go up there.”

“But what about the star? Didn’t you want one?” 

Dan smiled and looked away pointedly. “I thought I did but I’m actually really happy here. I think I want to stay down here with you.” 

Phil barked out a surprised laugh. “Promise not to be upset if I tell you something?” 

“Of course.” 

Phil backed away from Dan and put his arms out. Light poured from his fingertips and out of his hair, from his eyes and his smile and his arms and legs. A blinding beautiful white light washed over the two of them until Dan couldn’t even see Phil anymore. It was like he himself was-

“A star?” Dan exclaimed. “You– You’re a star?” 

The light retreated as fast as it came on. 

“I hope that doesn’t upset you. I didn’t mean to lie but I didn’t want the adventure to stop and then I was afraid you’d be cross I didn’t tell you right away. I’m sorry Dan.”

Dan rushed forward and held both of Phil’s hands. 

“I’m not. I  _ knew _ you were special when I saw you.” 

Phil’s eyes danced with laughter, lighting up in a quick flash to make Dan laugh.

“Do you want to go back into the sky with me?”

Dan pressed his lips to Phil, quick and sweet. “Can I?” 

The same white light flashed again but brighter, causing Dan to shield his eyes from it. When he opened them again he was next to Phil surrounded by other twinkling stars suspended in the blackness of nighttime. 

Light was flowing gently from his own finger tips. He held them up and showed them to Phil excitedly.

“I knew you were a star as well.” Phil said in awe. 

“ _ Me _ ?” Dan let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

“We can be whatever we want to be, Dan. You helped me be an adventurer. Your good heart and light made yourself be a star.” Phil hugged him tight.

Dan knew he belonged in the night sky even down on the ground but he’d never imagined he’d be able to be there himself. 

He shone his light back at Phil with a toothy grin and settled into his new place in the universe. That was, until it was time for another adventure.” -

Dan leaned back, his back aching from sitting over their eight year old’s bed. It wasn’t the first time he’d told the story to him before but he knew better than to tell such a long time before bed. Phil was probably out cold by now even though Dan had  _ plans _ . 

“Ew why did you have to add the kissing?” Max squealed and stuck his tongue out at Dan. “I told you I don’t like that part!” 

“I mean you should have seen that star, kid. How could Dan not kiss him?”

“Dad! You’re so gross!”

“I was just thinking that Dan doesn’t have much of a toothy grin? Maybe you should have talked about those laugh lines around his eyes, or that adorable dimple? That seems more true to him.” Phil teased from the doorway. 

He strolled into the room and kissed Dan right across the eye dramatically and sloppily.

“Ugh  _ Phil _ !” 

“ _ Ew _ !” Max roared but hyena giggles followed. 

“For your information I told that story perfectly.” Dan said defensively. He couldn’t hide his smirk from his family and just rolled his eyes.

“Alright Max. You got your story now it’s time for bed.” 

“Aw!” Max pouted before dissolving into a yawn. “Okay. Thanks Dad.” He smiled up at them. 

Dan ran his hand through their son’s soft hair and stood to his feet.

They made their way to the door together. Phil turned the lights out and Dan couldn’t help but smile at the glow in the dark stars that were scattered along the ceiling. 

.

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you think!!!  
> You can reblog on tumblr here!!   
> (much appreciated! <3)


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